AUTHOR=Tao Yunfei , Liu Zhaozhi , Huang Li , Liu Haowei , Tian Haodong , Wu Jinlong , Li Lan , Peng Li 

TITLE=The impact of smartphone dependence on college students’ sleep quality: the chain-mediated role of negative emotions and health-promoting behaviors

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1454217

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1454217

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objective: Sleep disturbances among college students have become a significant issue affecting their daily lives. This study aims to explore the relationship between s martphone dependence and sleep quality and examine the mediating roles of n egative emotions and health-promoting behaviors. Methods: A total of 23,652 co llege students were included in the study, and 21,314 valid questionnaires were collect ed. The survey assessed demographic factors, smartphone dependence, sleep quality, negative emotions, and health-promoting behaviors. A chain mediation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among these factors. Results: Smartphone dependence was significantly positively correlated with sleep quality (r=0.272, P <0.001) and negative emotions (r=0.414, P<0.001), and significantly negatively c orrelated with health-promoting behaviors (r=-0.178, P<0.001). Sleep quality was positively correlated with negative emotions (r=0.472, P<0.001) and negatively correlated with health-promoting behaviors (r=-0.218, P<0.001).Smartphone dependence was a significant positive predictor of sleep quality. Moreover, nega tive emotions and health-promoting behaviors influenced the relationship bet ween smartphone dependence and sleep quality. The total effect, direct effect, and in direct effect values were 0.304, 0.122, and 0.170, respectively. Conclusion: Diffe rent demographic factors (such as gender and place of residence) can lead to variations in different variables. Smartphone dependence and negative emotions have a positive impact on sleep quality among college students, while health-promoting behaviors hav e a negative impact. Smartphone dependence directly and positively affects sleep quali ty and can also influence it indirectly through the mediating effects of negative emotio ns and health-promoting behaviors, both individually and in a chain-like manner.